Then Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan. Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Then Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed.” So she called his name Naphtali.
When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. Then Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. And Leah said, “Good fortune has come!” so she called his name Gad. Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. And Leah said, “Happy am I! For women have called me happy.” So she called his name Asher.
In the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” But she said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?” Rachel said, “Then he may lie with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” When Jacob came from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he lay with her that night. And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. Leah said, “God has given me my wages because I gave my servant to my husband.” So she called his name Issachar.
Comment: As I read the beginning of Genesis, God’s plan was for one man and one woman to become one flesh (a sexual unit) until death. People like sex. God made it to be satisfying and fun – at least the majority of people find it like that if there is a mature committed attitude and relationship. Here we have one man, four women, difficulties in becoming pregnant, and jealousy all mixed up and now there is added the ‘buying’ of a wife’s turn for sex for a supposed aphrodisiac! And the aphrodisiac doesn’t work. It was Reuben who found the mandrake’s and by simple mathematics we know that he wasn’t more than seven years old, so he must have just been being nice to his mummy. Rachel would have been in the know about the aphrodisiac concept. Leah preferred the bed-method to become pregnant! Note – whilst not doubting the truth of the record paragraphs may well overlap. We soon have Leah with six sons and a daughter none, by description, multiple births. Seven years after his marriage Jacob should be free to leave.
Prayer: Teach me that it is better to do right than to have to seek forgiveness. On the other hand, thank You for being a forgiving God.
As I read it! 